Title: Vampire
Pairing: read to find out all of them
Related Chapter: none
Word Count: 1704

“Taekwoon,” Sanghyuk sighed, watching as his oldest brother paced the roof, “can you cut it out? You’re starting to get me stressed out.”

“They should have been here by now,” Taekwoon replied, pausing just long enough to glare at the city’s skyline before going back to pacing.

“They’re only twenty minutes late,” Hongbin, Sanghyuk’s other brother, pointed out, “totally understandable with all the hunter patrols recently.”

“Which is also a reason to be worried,” Taekwoon huffed, “I’m not about to let our brother become part of a clan that can’t protect themselves from hunters.”

“If this Hakyeon guy doesn’t show up,” Hongbin pointed out, “then it doesn’t matter. The deal is Hakyeon or nothing.”

“And they’re becoming part of our clan,” Sanghyuk clarified, “I’m still a Jung clan member. I’ll always be a Jung clan member.”

“Thank god for that,” Taekwoon muttered.

The oldest of the Jung ‘children’ had made it no secret that he was against this union the second the clan leader announced it. But then, he’d been against all the other suitors who’d come looking for Sanghyuk’s hand, so the leader had dismissed him. Their clan was at odds with the Kim clan and desperately needed assistance in the fight. The Cha clan was dying out, but those who remained were strong fighters.

It was a perfect match and Sanghyuk wasn’t going to stand against it. His clan needed this.

Besides, it wasn’t like he was going to go live in the Cha household. He got to keep his home, stay close to his family. No, his soon to be mate would be the one moving. And if things went well, the rest of his clan would move into Jung clan homes as well.

“We’re late,” the three vampires turned to find two young men making their way over, both looking rather dishevelled.

“You are Jung clan members, right?” the more tan of the pair clarified.

“We are,” Taekwoon nodded, tone all business and not betraying his personal distain for whichever of the pair would be taking his little brother as a mate. Hongbin and Sanghyuk could see, however, the cracks in his professional poker face.

“I’m Jaehwan,” the first spoke before nodding to the tan vampire, “and this is Hakyeon.”

“Hello,” Hakyeon bowed slightly before looking over the three siblings, trying to identify which one was his future mate.

“I am Taekwoon,” Taekwoon said, “This is my brother, Hongbin.” Sanghyuk bit back a hiss when Hakyeon looked a little disappointed that Hongbin wasn’t his future mate. Hongbin was attractive, that much was for sure. Countless vampires and humans had tried to win his heart over the centuries. It was only natural that Hakyeon would want the work of art that was Hongbin over someone like Sanghyuk.

“Greetings,” Hongbin smiled, bowing his head ever so slightly.

“This is my youngest brother, Sanghyuk,” Taekwoon said, clearly very reluctant to draw Hakyeon’s attention to Sanghyuk. Especially when he caught Hakyeon’s disappointment with the reveal that Hongbin was not going to be his mate.

Sanghyuk suddenly didn’t feel like say anything to Hakyeon, simply bowing his head slightly before turning to Taekwoon for guidance on what to do now.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Hakyeon said, trying to smile after Sanghyuk’s obvious brush off.

“I’ve got to leave,” Jaehwan said, “our clan looks forewords to hearing from yours about mating ceremony details.”

“We’ll send word soon,” Taekwoon replied.

“Be careful,” Jaehwan reminded Hakyeon before he left, “don’t do anything careless and mess this up, Hakyeon. Our clan needs this to work.”

“I know,” Hakyeon smiled sadly and then Jaehwan was gone.

“Let’s go,” Taekwoon said, not sparing Hakyeon another glance, “try to keep up.”

Hakyeon watched as Taekwoon left in a flash, Sanghyuk following a second later without even looking back.

“He doesn’t mean to be so standoffish,” Hongbin assured Hakyeon, “Well, Sanghyuk doesn’t. Taekwoon.....it’s not that he doesn’t like you, it’s just that he doesn’t think anyone is good enough for Sanghyuk. He’s.....kind of our baby brother and we’re both protective of him.”

“I get it,” Hakyeon nodded. He had younger ‘siblings’ at home and he felt the same way about them.

“Sanghyuk, well,” Hongbin sighed, “he saw how you looked when you found out who I was. He’s.....he’s used to people looking at me or Taekwoon and then looking at him and seeing him as less then. But that doesn’t make it hurt any less.”

“Oh,” Hakyeon winced, “I just....Sanghyuk looked so tall and intimidating. Not as much as Taekwoon, but still pretty scary. You...you didn’t look scary, so......I was kind of hoping that it was you.”

“Understandable,” Hongbin laughed, “between the three of us, I guess I do look the least scary.”

“I should apologize to Sanghyuk,” Hakyeon decided, “explain why I had hoped it was you.”

“At the house,” Hongbin told him, looking up at the sky, “dawn is growing closer with every passing second and I do not want to be caught out outside when the sun starts to shine.”

--

“Hello again,” Hakyeon tried to smile as he opened his bedroom door to find Sanghyuk on the other side, “I, um, see we’re sharing a room.”

“The clan leader decided it made more sense,” Sanghyuk replied, returning his attention to his book, “since we’ll be mates by the end of the month.”

“Right,” Hakyeon tried to smile, but was met with Sanghyuk ignoring him, “um, can we....can we talk?”

“Well,” Sanghyuk scoffed, “it would be an awful long existence together if we didn’t.”

“That isn’t want I meant,” Hakyeon sighed, “I mean I want to talk to you about before. When we were introduced to each other.”

“Then talk away,” Sanghyuk sighed, finally putting down his book, “please, explain away how you wished that Hongbin was the one to become your mate.”

“That wasn’t it,” Hakyeon scowled, “at least not for the reasons your thinking. You and Taekwoon both looked so intimidating, Hongbin looked nice and welcoming. I just......I’m leaving my clan, my friends and family, and I arrive on that roof after getting chased by a hunter and I find two scary looking vampires and another who actually looks happy to see me. Why wouldn’t I want the one who looks happy to see me to be my mate?”

“I was happy to see you,” Sanghyuk muttered, scowling at the book in his lap, “so sorry I didn’t show it.”

“No,” Hakyeon sighed, moving to sit beside Sanghyuk, “you weren’t happy to see me. I...I get the feeling that you don’t want this mating, not really. You’re only going along with it because that’s what’s expected of you.”

“Um,” Sanghyuk averted his eyes, a clear signal that Hakyeon was dead on, “well........no. no, I’m not doing this because I want to. This mating and everything that will come of it.....our clans need it. My clan needs this to work. I.......I can’t say no.”

Hakyeon wasn’t sure what to say exactly to that. At least they were in the same boat, both going along with this mating because it was what was best for their clans.

“Maybe this will work out for us,” Hakyeon finally said, “I mean, maybe....maybe we’ll at least end up being friends.”

“Maybe,” Sanghyuk nodded, “it would make things easier.”

--

“Taekwoon,” the leader of the Kim clan growled from the other side of the roof, “what, might I ask, made you call this meeting?” the leader smirked slightly, “changing sides? Or has your clan realized fighting mine is a lost cause.”

“I’ve only come to deliver news that my leader wished for you to hear, Wonsik” Taekwoon replied, trying to hide his loathing for the other.

“Then deliver your news,” the leader, Wonsik, huffed, “and be gone.”

“It has been arranged for one of the Jung clan to mate with a member of the Cha clan,” Taekwoon said, taking no small amount of joy in the worried look at appeared on the other’s face.

“Who has been ordered into this mating?” Wonsik finally asked, a horrible feeling in his gut telling him that he knew exactly who it was.

“Sanghyuk,” Taekwoon said, “is to be mated with Hakyeon of the Cha clan.”

The pair fell silent for a moment before the sound of something breaking filled the air. Taekwoon scowled as he watched Wonsik clutch the ledge of the roof so hard that it started to shatter and crack.

“He will not survive to the mating ritual,” Wonsik promised.

“Just try to hurt him,” Taekwoon scoffed, “Hakyeon is under my clan’s protection. You’ll never even get close to him.”

“It’s funny,” Wonsik smirked, “this whole mating thing.....we wouldn’t even have to deal with it if you’d have just let me take Sanghyuk all those years ago. Our clans would be brothers and the.....disagreements that have lead to our current situation wouldn’t be a problem.”

“You act like you’re worthy of my brother,” Taekwoon scoffed.

“And this Hakyeon is?” Wonsik countered, “How long has it been, Taekwoon, since Sanghyuk was first turned? And you have never found someone worth of him. What makes Hakyeon different from the rest of us?”

“I never said that he was worth,” Taekwoon smirked slightly, “just that something like you wasn’t.”

“You worthless leech,” Wonsik growled, eyes turning black in his anger, “I should rip you apart.”

“And then Sanghyuk would kill you,” Taekwoon’s smirk grew, “he’d know right away who took my life, our leader would make sure of that. We both know Sanghyuk is a hundred times more deadly than either of us, especially when his target has caused harm to his family.”

Wonsik fell silent, knowing that Taekwoon was right. Even though Sanghyuk was younger than either of them, he was stronger than both combined. And that strength seemed to grow when he was protecting his beloved brothers. If Wonsik touched Taekwoon wrong, Sanghyuk would pay their past no mind as he ripped Wonsik apart.

Taekwoon nodded, satisfied that Wonsik would do nothing more. For at least the next few nights anyway. Taekwoon was no fool, he knew that Wonsik wouldn’t give up, he’d think of something to get Sanghyuk all to himself.

Taekwoon would just have to work hard to ensure that never happened.

A/N: wow, so this turned into a thing. It would be an even longer thing if I didn’t need to post it. Haha but guess what just got added to my list of things to write.